Some fuel pumps are provided with a magnetic card reader for enabling automatic payment processing at the pump upon completion of a sale. This reduces the number of employees needed at a service station to process payments and reduces the time necessary for a purchaser to consummate a transaction. Thus, existing fuel pump systems having this feature help the speed and efficiency of processing fuel purchase transactions. However, various drawbacks exist.
For example, with existing systems, a number of preliminary steps usually must be performed by the purchaser before the purchaser can begin pumping fuel. Typically the purchaser must select a form of payment (credit card, debit card, cash, etc.) by pressing a key of a keypad associated with the fuel pump. In some systems, this includes choosing whether to "pay-at-the-pump" or to pay inside (via an attendant). If the purchaser selects the pay-at-the-pump option, then the purchaser typically must next pass a debit or credit card through a magnetic card reader. After the card has been read, the purchaser may be required to press another key to select the type of fuel to be purchased, usually by pressing a button on the fuel pump or sometimes just by lifting the nozzle for the desired type of fuel. The purchaser also is typically prompted to elect whether or not a receipt should be printed upon completion of the transaction. Sometimes this is done after the desired amount of fuel has been pumped. Then, the purchaser pumps the fuel, manually stopping the pump at the desired amount or waiting for automatic cut-off (e.g. if the fuel tank is to be filled-up). When the desired amount of fuel has been pumped, the purchaser replaces the nozzle and the transaction processor determines the amount of the sale and processes the transaction in a known manner. If a receipt is to be printed, the processor prints a receipt and the transaction is completed. Communication links between the processor and one or more central controllers are typically used to process payment information in a known manner. Various inefficiencies exist with these types of fuel pump transaction processing systems.
By way of example, each time a purchaser desires to purchase fuel, a number of selections and inputs must be made by the purchaser. Thus, existing automated transaction processing systems require the purchaser to select the transaction parameters each time fuel is purchased. This is inefficient, especially in cases where a purchaser typically uses the same or at least some of the same parameters from one transaction to the next. For example, many purchasers either want a receipt or they do not. For many people, at least some, if not all, of these choice does not vary from one transaction to the next. For example, many people purchase the same type of fuel each time and often pay for the purchase in the same way each time (e.g., using a particular credit card). In some cases, a purchaser may have a preference for the amount of fuel purchased or may routinely fill-up. In situations such as these, where a purchaser often repeats at least some parameters from one transaction to the next, it is inefficient to require the purchaser to select these repeated parameters for each transaction. Other drawbacks also exist.